Continuous mining machine having an angularly adjustable cutter head



J. S. ROBBINS CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE HAVING AN Oct. 1, 1957 ANGULARLYADJUSTABLE CUTTER HEAD Original Filed Oct. 21, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmmm Q I ON NN R.S N no MR 3 S E E W n k l m w oh U. nl Q A e d d fl JIM..lul. d q a 3 5 o Q R\ H Q o o Q I m f AP p mm 5 an U ATTORNEY J. s.ROBBINS 2,808,249 CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE HAVING AN ANGULARLYADJUSTABLE CUTTER HEAD Original Filed Oct. 21, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Oct. 1, 1957 INVENTOR. JAMES s. ROBBINS BY 2 ATTORNEY 1957 J. s. ROBBINSCONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE HAVING AN ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTER HEADOriginal Filed Oct. 21, 1953 s Shets-Sheet s INVENTOR. JAMES S. ROBBINSZTTORNEY United States Patent Q CONTINUOUS MINING AN ADJ USTABBECUTTERL' HEAD James-S; Robbins;.St;.-Paul-,-: Minn.; assignor to GoodmanNanufacturing: Company Chicago, 111., a corporation IllinoisContinuation ofapplication Serial No. 387,441, October 21,1953; Thisapplication*Juhe*-7Q1956, Serial'No. 590,665

1 Claim. (Cl. 262:1

'Phis invention-relates to improvements in mining machinesofthe--multiple boringr-armtypeadapted to cut contiguous boresin'advance of the machine. Such-:machines; commonly knownas'McKinlay'type' miners, have acutter head-including: a pair oflaterally spaced,, radial boring. arms and auxiliary horizontallydisposedupper and-lower cutter-bars,- which 1 follow immediately behindthe boring arms to modify the circular bore pattern by producingfiatiiooriandroof-surfaces.

One of the principal objects of-theprese'nt invention is to provideia-machine of the type above mentioned, wherein thecutter headis-readily adjustable for vertical or lateral tilting angles-withrespect toits mobile 'base frame to increase its-flexibility" andmaneuverability in mining operations.

A further object is-to provide an-'improved 'and: simplified--structure, wherein th'e "cutterhead, the 'cutter head drivemotors, and the dischargeconveyor are formed as an-"integral unit tonbodily, adjustment -relative to'ithemobile 'base frame:

A still further-object of the invention is to provide'.

an improved threeapoint: mountingznor the cutter head :and-

its associated-parts, to facilitate their adjustment relative t-o'thebase'franiez' The present application -is a continuation of my application- Serial No: 387',44l, filed OctoberQl, 1953;110W abandoned.

The invention may best be understood by reference to theaccompanying-drawings,in which'" Figure 1 isna side'view of amining'm'achinemadein accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view," with certain details omitted,showing the adjustable support for the rear end of the cutter headconveyor assembly which consists of a pair of hydraulic jacks;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken generally online 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the fluid control system for thehydraulic jacks shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention shown in thedrawings, a mobile base frame, indicated generally at 9, is mounted onparallel endless treads 10, 10. Said base frame has a relativelylow-slung cross member 11 between the endless treads and forms, withsaid treads, an open longitudinal trough-like space for the reception ofthe cutter head conveyor assembly, as will presently be described ingreater detail. The base frame carries suitable drive motors (not shown)for the endless treads, together with conventional control devices foroperating them in unison or at diiierent speeds or in oppositedirections for maneuvering the machine, as usual, on the mine floor.

A cutter head, indicated generally at 12, includes a relatively largeupright subframe 13 which carries a pair of forwardly projecting boringheads 14, 14 of conventional form including a plurality (herein three)of radial arms 15. The boring heads 14 are journalled, as usual, in thesubframe 13.

Patented Oct. 1 "1957A mounted 'onthe subframe l3 'n'eed-notsbedescribed herein,-

as they: form no part of thepresent invention.

The cutter headsu-bframe 13m for-m's 'thesole-support for motordrivemeans f-or the two-boring heads 14. Said motordrivemeans-herein-consists. of similar but separate electric-motors 35;- 35mounted integrally with gear reduction casings-35a secured to the :rear'of the' subfrarne 13.- Details of the gearreductionmechanism and thegears for-driving the [boring heads, are not shown herein, as-theyformno part-of-the-present invention.

An'endless-conveyor, indicated'generally :at 37, is rigidly connected to:the subframe. 13, so 1 as to form therewith a separate cutter'headaconveyor- 'assemblywhich is supported foi bodily adjust-mentrelative to the mobile'b'ase frame 9, as willnow-be-describedr- Theillustrative means herein shown lior'radjustably supportingthe frontendof the =cutter -hea'deconveyorassembly for eitherlateralorlongitudinalttiltingrelative to the mobile baseframe-9-includes-a-pairoflaterally spaced, uprighttrunniomsupports38,-.38: at the" front end ofthe base framew9, which trunnion supports carry inwardly "projectingtrunnionpins 39,39 journalled in bear ings' at-oppositesides of thecuttenhead subframe 13; Asshown in Figure- 3', each trunnion-pin =39 ismounted eecentrically'of ran annularrhubtl j-ournalled in the inner sideof a housing-.43 formingpart of ithe uprighttrunnion support 38- The-hub41-isintegra1-witha gear 44- in housing-'43, which gearmay be rotatedmanually by a ratchet-handler 45- througha isuitable reduction geartrain,- herein consisting; of-a i small-pinion 46 -on stub shaft 47,herein shown-as having its inner end journalledon needle bearings:within the gear 44 and=its hub41.- Said pinion: 46 -is meshed withagear48 fixed on anotherwshaft- 49. havinga larger pinion 50 meshed withtheaforesaidgea-r 44. in the form shown herein, -the"r,atchet handle has ashaft 45w detachably connecta'ble inasocketed end 4% of the stub shaft47, so as to permitsaid rat-chet handle to be removed from. the-machinewhen not inuse.

Each of thetrunnion pins=39 has apartially'sphericali bearing; sleeve 51rotatablywland slidably mounted thereon; and engaged in acorrespondingly; shaped bearingring-52, fitted zimtheside. of thesubframe' '1-3,-'as-:shown in Figure: 3, so as to provide, in eifcct, auniversal or ball joint for each of the two trunnions, therebypermitting the subframe to assume varying angles, and to tilt on varyingaxes, relative to the base frame 9. The slidable mounting of the bearingsleeves 51 on trunnion pins 39 permits limited endwise movement of saidsleeves to compensate for any increase in distance {between thetrunnions and the subfram'e due to varying adjustments of said trunnionpins.

It will now be understood that the two trunnion pins 39, 39 are eachadjustable in a circle so as to vary the position of the axis of lateralor longitudinal tilting movement of the subframe 13 relative to the baseframe 9, as may be desired to counteract spiraling of the cutter head,or to make other minor corrections in lateral or up-and-down steering ofthe machine while it is in use. For instance, if the machine starts tospiral, i. e. cut upwardly on one side and downwardly on the other, oneside of the head may be lifted and the other side lowered by moving theproper trunnion pin to a higher position and the other to a lowerposition. Similarly, minor corrections in steering can be made byadjusting one of the trunnion pins to a more forward position and theother to a more rearward position. Smaller adjustments can, of course,be made by adjusting only one of the trunnion pins. 7

It will be further understood that the adjustment of one or bothtrunnion pins 39, Ias above described, also permits the cutterhead-conveyor assembly to tilt bodily longitudinally of the machineabout varying transverse axes, depending upon the relative adjustedpositions of the two trunnion pins.

The conveyor 37 has a generally U-shaped frame 55 supporting an endlessflight type chain conveyor of any well-known construction. Said conveyorframe is rigidly secured at its front end near the bottom of the cutterhead subfra'me 13, and extends at an upwardly and rearwardly inclinedangle, so that the chain conveyor receives loose material at the floorimmediately to the rear of the lower cutter bar 21, and carries it fordischarge into any suitable material-transporting apparatus, such asanother conveyor, shuttle car, or the like. In the form shown herein,the conveyor frame 55 is made of substantial strength, so as to providea support for the rear end of the cutter head-conveyor assemblyrearwardly of the trunnion pins 39, 39. A drive motor 56, havingsuitable chain drive connections with the rear end of the flightconveyor, is also supported below the rear end of the conveyor frame andforms a part of the cutter headconveyor assembly.

Figures 1 and 2 show the mechanism for tilting the cutter head-conveyorassembly longitudinally of the machine about a transverse axis, hereinprovided by the trunnion pins 39, :by means of a pair of hydraulic jacks75, 75. Said jacks each have double-acting pistons 76, the lower ends ofwhich pistons are connected by lball joints 77 to brackets 78 fixed inlaterally spaced relation on the cross member 11 of :base frame 9. Theupper ends of the jacks 75 are connected by ball joints 79 to oppositesides of the conveyor frame 55.

The hydraulic control system for the motor devices 75 is showndiagrammatically in Figure 4, wherein a pump 89, which may be eithermotor or hand-operated, is connected by line 81 to a control valve 82 ofany Wellknown construction designed to supply pressure selectively tolines 83 and 84, respectively, leading by cross connecting lines 85 and86 to the upper and lower ends of both hydraulic jacks 75, 75. As usual,when pressure is supplied to one of the lines, the other line is openedfor pressure relief through a line 87 connecting valve 82 to lowpressure tank 88.

By reason of the cross-connection of the upper and lower ends of jacks'75 through lines 85 and 86, as just described, it will be observed thatthe pistons in the two jacks are free to accommodate themselvesautomatically to any lateral tilting adjustments of the cutterhead-conveyor assembly, so as to provide, in effect, a three-pointsuspension of the cutter head-conveyor assembly, and the ball-jointedmounting of both upper and lower ends of the hydraulic jacks permits thesuperposed assembly to shift forwardly or rearwardly as may be necessaryto accommodate for forvv'ard or rearward adjustment of the trunnion pins39. a

It will be especially observed that the hydraulic jacks 75, 75, withtheir cross-connecting fluid lines 85 and 86, will permit the cutterhead-conveyor assembly to be tilted laterally relative to the base frame9 on varying transverse axes defined by the adjustable trunnion pins 39,39. v

The use and operation of the machine will now be manifest to thoseskilled in the art. Adjustment of the trunnion pins 39 can .be readilyeffected, when necessary, to offset any spiraling of the cutter head,and also to effect any minor corrections in steering of the cutter headas it is being driven into the working face. The frame of the endlessconveyor 37, together with the parts suspended from the rear endthereof, such as the conveyor drive motor 56, are spaced a sufiicientdistance from the endless treads 10, 10, so as to afford sufficientclearance for any permissible tilting or lateral swinging adjustments ofthe cutter head-conveyor assembly as a whole.

Although I have shown and described a centain embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to theexact construction shown and described, but that various changes andmodifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a boring machine, a mobile main frame, an auxiliary frame having aboring head thereon for forming a bore in advance of the machine,supporting means adjacent the front of the machine affording tilting ofsaid auxiliary frame laterally and longitudinally relative to said mainframe, and means disposed rearwardly of said support means forsupporting said auxiliary frame for lateral and longitudinal tilting onsaid main frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced generally uprighthydraulic jacks flexibly connected for lateral nocking movement betweensaid auxiliary and main frames, and hydraulic pressure means forextending or retracting said jacks including pressure and relief lineseach connected to similar ends of said jacks from a fluid line common tosaid similar ends, to permit interchange of fluid between similar endsof said jacks to accommodate said jacks to lateral tilting of saidauxiliary frame, in various positions of extension or retraction of saidjacks.

'No references cited.

